Purpose: This paper explores the challenge of "fuzzy" assessment criteria and feedback with a view to aiding student learning. The paper untangles three guiding principles as mechanisms to enhance the effectiveness of assessment and feedback through overcoming the inherent challenges which stem from tacit judgement during assessment.…

A small number of districts in Ohio from a variety of locales have adopted merit pay provisions. Using Springer's (2009) taxonomy of teacher compensation, we analyzed compensation provisions of these districts. We asked: What are the characteristics of these districts? What criteria are used to determine merit? Who is determining who receives…

In 2010, the California Early Learning Quality Improvement System (CAEL QIS) Advisory Committee recommended a structure for a voluntary quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) that could apply to the state's 11,000 licensed centers and 36,600 licensed family child care homes (FCCHs). The proposed design consisted of an unweighted block system…

This paper is a case study. It tells the story of the process that the Council on Accreditation for Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions beta test site created its learning outcomes assessment program. A planning process was used that has evolved from quality management philosophy and practice: DMADV. Use of DMADV required precise…

Universities in Europe have been playing an increasingly important role in the institutional evaluation of political and social systems for the last thirty years. Their major contribution to those processes of accountability has been to add methods and safeguards of evaluative research. In this paper we report an illustration of how evaluative…

In this article, relevance of practice during university studies is highlighted, as well as the main stages of its organisation, qualitative parameters, as well as criteria and indicators that validate them are defined. Discussion on the idea that taking into consideration qualitative parameters of organising practice as a component of studies…

The three major assessment strategies that have been identified for measuring the generalizable skills of students in vocational programs (student self-ratings, teacher ratings, and performance or criterion measures) are described regarding their purpose, design, reliability, validity, and potential uses with special needs learners. (CT)

A study of five state colleges and universities investigated the design and impact of administrator evaluation programs. Effects on individual administrators' performance and on organizational performance, as well as positive and negative program characteristics, are examined. (MSE)

In 1985 the Arizona Legislature established a 5-year Career Ladder Program for teachers. The purpose of the pilot is to determine if student academic achievement is enhanced through recognizing and developing high levels of teacher performance and through a "promotion system based on comptence". The overall research and evaluation…

The Governor's Educator Excellence Grant (GEEG) program was federally- and state-funded and provided three-year grants to schools to design and implement performance pay plans from the 2005-06 to 2007-08 school years. GEEG was implemented in 99 high poverty, high performing Texas public schools. This report builds on the previous GEEG evaluation…

The pamphlet describes an evaluation model for crime reduction projects developed by National Institute of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice sponsored research. It is meant to assist justice agency and project managers in determining completeness of evaluation planning by providing a framework against which to measure their evaluation…

Needs assessments require staff with the necessary expertise to design the study, collect the data, analyze the data, and present results. They require money, time, and persistence, because the people one wishes to assess often are difficult to access. This article argues for the centrality of a well-done needs assessment when developing services…

A study identified quality signals for master's programs in business administration (MBAs). Traditional scholarly oriented academic signals are apparently not valued as such by external customer groups. MBA academic quality appears to be a multidimensional construct, with subdimensions of real-worldness; placement; student satisfaction; and…

Purpose: The author's interest in learning organisation development leads him to examine large French companies' practices regarding "high potential" executives policies and to question their selection and development processes and their capabilities to develop learning oriented organisations.The author also tries to explain why most…

The complexity of the design problem for modern computer based information systems has increased significantly over its predecessors. The problem presented to the designer is to configure a system which satisfies the user criterion while achieving system resource related performance criteria. The purpose of this paper is to present an evaluation…